Deciding the top 10 records of a banner year for music

‘ ‘ ‘ In a year when just about everything was getting worse, music miraculously got better. ‘… ‘ ‘ ‘ In a year when just about everything was getting worse, music miraculously got better. ‘ ‘ ‘ Forget about the haters who consistently bemoan the state of music as, ‘It was better in (a year before they were alive),’ 2008 saw some absolutely stunning releases. ‘ ‘ ‘ That said, creating a list of the 10 best records of the year was not an easy task. Quite the contrary ‘mdash; it was a stay up all night (twice) listening and re-listening affair. Be warned: There were more than 10 great records this year. So with a sad heart, I must merely give an honorable mention to Stay Positive by The Hold Steady, Oracular Spectacular by MGMT, For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver and Bring Me Your Love by City and Colour. ‘ ‘ ‘ Here we go. ‘ ‘ ‘ 10. Alopecia by Why? ‘mdash; Listen to this record once and you’ll likely say something to the effect of, ‘What the hell is this?’ But after about five minutes, you’ll pop it back on repeat for the next three weeks. Maybe the most creative record of the year, Why? pairs talk-sung melodies with sluggish, hypnotic rapping over beats (would soundscapes be more apt?) that are part electro-folk, part trip-hop and part acid jazz. It’s fun … in a last-record-you-hear-before-the-world-ends kind of way. ‘ ‘ ‘ 9.’ Third by Portishead ‘mdash; Speaking of apocalyptic, this record, a pointed departure from the band’s lighter trip-hop of the ’90s, sounds like it was recorded in the world’s biggest empty warehouse ‘mdash; in the dark. Beth Gibbons’ slow, haunting melodies crawl on top of sparse, plodding industrial percussion, echoey guitars and shivering synths. Ever walk down the street in the middle of the night feeling like someone’s following you? Listen to Third, you’ll know how it feels. ‘ ‘ ‘ 8. Shine by Estelle ‘mdash; While fellow Brit Duffy may be waving the neo-soul flag the highest, no one made the genre her own more than Estelle. On her American breakthrough (with the help of John Legend and Kanye West), Estelle’s Motown-rich voice weaves in and out of smokey-jazz club beats with huge hip-hop choruses (thanks, Kanye). On an album this good, the inclusion of the smash ‘American Boy’ is just an added bonus. ‘ ‘ ‘ 7. Feed the Animals by Girl Talk ‘mdash; He’s not just a local hero anymore. With Feed the Animals, Gregg Gillis took the novelty of his underground smash Night Ripper to the masses. By sampling more than 300 different songs into one long, looping piece of music, Gillis created something completely new. More than just the ultimate party album, Gillis’ work is a quilt woven with the best pop music has to offer. But in this case, the sum is better than all of its parts. ‘ ‘ ‘ 6. Censored Colors by Portugal. The Man ‘mdash; This Alaska-via-Oregon post-rock, post-punk, post-everything band simply keeps getting better. Album one was a synth-punk blast. Album two was classic rock thunder. Censored Colors, though, defies even the most drawn-out description. There are strings, ethereal harmonies, acoustic strumming, electric jamming, funk percussion, horns and mesmerizing bass. The most ambitious album of 2008? Maybe, and the payoff is golden. ‘ ‘ ‘ 5. The Stand Ins by Okkervil River ‘mdash; With The Stand Ins, Okkervil’s second brilliant album in only two years, frontman Will Sheff’s vagabond storytelling has never been clearer. The alt-country twang and stomp is all there, but so is the downright beauty of Sheff’s contained-craze voice, making Okkervil River the most underrated band in the United States. ‘ ‘ ‘ 4. Self-titled by Santogold ‘mdash; This Philadelphia native’s electro-fuzz bass and synth freak-outs got her pegged as the next M.I.A. last year, but she’s got a swagger all her own. Is it R’amp;B with a rock flair? Rock with a new wave tinge? Whatever ‘mdash; while Feed the Animals may be the best dance party of the year, Santogold’s twisted bangers are the soundtrack to the hazy after party. ‘ ‘ ‘ 3. Fate by Dr. Dog ‘mdash; Rock just doesn’t get this much fun anymore. With ‘ahh’ and ‘ooh’ harmonies, head-nodding pianos and drums and squeeling guitars, Dr. Dog could’ve been the more out-there (but still insanely catchy) rocker cousins of The Beach Boys. The sound of Fate is timelessly upbeat ‘mdash; awkward white-boy dancing guaranteed. ‘ ‘ ‘ 2. The ’59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem ‘mdash; Because it’s impossible to avoid a reference to this band without mentioning Springsteen, I’ll just get it out of the way: The Gaslight Anthem rock out like the Boss if he were a punk in 1977. Guitar workouts about girls and cars over driving drums and gigantic, fist-pumping choruses fill the record. The Gaslight Anthem lives at the dusty intersection where Americana’s hopefulness and punk’s urgency collide head-on. ‘ ‘ ‘ 1. Self-titled by Fleet Foxes ‘mdash; Folk music came back in a big way this year, and Fleet Foxes’ atmospheric, acoustic beauties were the best any fan could’ve asked for. This is singing-from-a-mountaintop music ‘mdash; crisp, gorgeous and spacious with melody for miles. Save money on that spring break road trip through the United States. Pop on Fleet Foxes, close your eyes and feel the air from the open road blow through your hair.